Electrical railway-signal



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Oct. I8. 1892.

(No Model.)

B. C. SEATON.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL lNo. 484,614.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

B. O. SEATQN.

. y ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL N0. 484,614. Patented 00's. 18, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

BENJAMlN CAPLIN SEATON, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,614, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed March l, 1892. Serial No. 423,378. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN CAPLIN SEATON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Railway Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to thc accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical railway-signals.

In order that the construction, operation, and advantages of my signall may be readily understood,l have illustrated the same in de tail in the acoinpanying drawings, in which- Figurel representsthe application of myinvention in its simplest form, showing a scction of track with two locomotives approaching each other thereon, the electrical connection being shown by diagram. Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the track and conductor. Fig. 4 shows means for giving alarm to the driver of the locomotive from a detached car. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of of one of the locomotives, track, and connections. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the track and conductor.

In the drawings, 1 represents the main track or rails, and 2 3 the locomotives thereon. Centrally between the track is placed the conductor 4, consisting of a series of rails 5 6 7, placed side by side,insulated from each other in any suitable manner, but preferably by a block of rubber 8, and. sustained by brackets 9 10, from which they are insulated by strips of mica or other suitable non-conducting material. The rails in each series are placed end to end, each forming a practically-continuous rail or conductor for any desired distance, preferably half a mile, where they are separated sufficiently to break connection. These breaks alternate in the opposing conductor, so that the current is taken by the brush first from one then from the other.

12 designates a contact-brush located, preferably, beneath the pilot and caused to travel upon the conductor 4, the brush being connected directly with the positive pole of the battery 14 by the conductor 13.

16 represents a switch-block connected with the battery by conductor 15 and by conductor 17 with magneto-alarm signal 18, from which runs a ground connection 19.

2O represents an additional battery the negative pole of which is connected to the brush 12 by the conductors 21 22, through the switch block 16, the positive pole of the battery being connected with the alarm 18 through conductor 23 and thence to ground through the conductor 19.

It will be understood that each locomotive is equipped and wired in precisely the same manner, the batteries holding the same relation to each other as in the one described above.

To illustrate the invention, we will suppose two trains to be approaching each other upon the same track. Owing to the nature and construction of the conductor, there would be no alarm until they had both covered the section of track occupied by one continuous conductor. This, as shown above, is preferably about half a mile apart. The instant the brushes of both engines had come in contact with a common conductor, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2, the circuit would be established between the two, passing, as shown by arrows, over the brush 12 of engine 2, thence through conductor 13 to battery 14, through conductor 15, through the switch-block 16 to magnetosignal 18, thence through conductor 19 to ground. Following the main track as the shortest ground connection, the current will then pass to engine 3 in the reverse direction to that in which it left the opposing enginethat is to say, through conductor 19 to magneto-signal 18, thence to battery 20, through conductor 21, conductor 16, through brushcompleting circuit. Thus it will be seen that the signal in each car is simultaneously sounded and the engineer apprised of approaching danger. llis first thought is now to ascertain from which direction the threatened danger approaches. If before him, he should stop; if behind, he must necessarily increase his speed. This end is accomplished by means of the additional battery and switchblock. The switch-lever has rested on the position shown in full lines. He at once throws it over to the opposite side, which cuts out the battery 14, just used, and brings into use battery 2O instead.

All trains traveling in the same direction have their switch-levers in the same relative position, so that when two trains enter upon the same section the signal in each engine will be sounded, as is evident.

It frequently happens that the car of a train becomes detached through breaking of a coupling pin, link, or other cause, and in order to immediately notify the engineer that he may return at once and prevent unnecessary delay and possibly danger I provide the means which I will now proceed to describe.

1n Fig. 4,30 represents a carat any convenient point, upon which is placed a rod 3l, capable of vertical movement and adapted to be held in any desired position by a rack 32. On the end of this rod is carried a shoe or other contact device 33, held normally above but adapted to be lowered to and brought in contact with the main conductor 4 for the purpose of establishing connection between the conductor and the rail, which is accomplished by means of a conducting-wire 34, connecting the central shoe 33 to the brakeshoe 35, thus short-circuiting the line and ringing the alarmin the cab of the engine. This short-crcuiting may be accomplished at any time by simply connecting the main conduetor with the main track, as by laying a crow or bar of metal across the track, which is especially-advantageous in case of a wreck or other cause for desiring the immediate stoppage of the train, thus obviating the always undesirable necessity1 of walking up or down the track for a mile or more to dag approaching trains. This may also be used to great advantage by officers of the train to signal the engine ahead back or stop, as the exigencies ot' the case may require, thus supplanting the use of the iiag, hand, and caution signals. It will he thus understood that the conductor is made in insulated sections and preferably about one-half mile in length, and as soon as the engines enter upon one of the sections the circuit is closed and the bell in each engine is sounded, thus warning each engineer and making it impossible for the trains to follow dangerously close or to collide. The sections of course can be made ot' any desired length and the generators made of the proper energy, as desired. It will also be seen that when the car of a train becomes det-ached by any cause the shoe carried by said car can be brought against the conductor and the bell of the engine of the train from which the car is detached will be rung and the engineers thus be enabled to return on said car; also, should another train be approaching or following the detached car as soon as the engine enters upon the section the bell will be sounded in said engine, and thus the engineer in front and rear will both be signaled. It will also be understood that in case of a train being stopped by reason of breakage, hot boxes, or for any purpose whatever the train following can be signaled by bringing a metal bar in contact with the conductor, and thus prevent the moving train from colliding with the detained train.

In an electrical railroad-signal, the combination, with the railroad-bed, of the supports or bracket thereon, the conductor formed of the strips supported on said brackets and insulated from each other, the electric generator, and magneto signal, and switch electrically connected with said conductor, the vertical rod carried by the car, the shoe carried by the rod for engaging the conductor, and the wire leading from said shoe to the brake-shoe of the car, whereby a circuit may be formed through the conductor and the wheels of the car to sound the alarm or signal, as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN CAPLIN SEATON. Witnesses:

WM. N. MOORE, GEo. E. TERRY. 

